A Long Road to Safety
by FaithInHim4ever
Summary: When Paige runs into a problem that magic can't fix, can Piper and Phoebe help her through it? R/R


Long Road to Safety

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own any of the characters from "Charmed." They belong to the WB. I do however own Paige's daughters, Savannah and Haley, along with Paige's husband, Matt. I also own Paige's middle name of Lindsay.

Enjoy!

A/N: As I've said before, this story, like the other "Charmed" ones I will be posting, was written around the time Paige became a part of the family. Since Paige is my main favorite character, most of my stories will be centered on her. In short, if Paige had not have become a part of the family, I would NOT have started watching the show. With that said, I hope everyone enjoys this story, along with my other "Charmed" stories I will be posting here.

"A Long Road to Safety"

Paige was woken up by the sun streaming in through her window. She loved feeling the warm sun on her face as she woke up to greet a new day.

Rolling over, Paige smiled as her body came in contact with another person's. He was of Hawaiian descent and the only man Paige had ever loved, besides Glenn. His name was Matt Kawaha.

Matt and Paige had been married for four years now and had two daughters.

Savannah Grace, who was twelve and Haley Keona, who had just turned two.

Matt didn't mind being a father to Paige's ten year old daughter, Savannah. He loved her as much as he loved Paige and Haley. He was very good with children and enjoyed taking care of them.

It was this reason that they had another child about two years ago.

Haley was the most beautiful little girl Paige had ever seen.

Haley had Matt's brown hair and tan skin, along with Paige's eyes.

As Paige lay there, she heard Haley call her name.

"Mama!"

Heaving a contented sigh, Paige swung her legs over the side of the bed and made her way to her youngest daughter's room.

Upon entering it, she found Haley standing at the bars of her crib, looking around.

When Haley's gaze fell on Paige, she smiled from ear to ear.

"Mama!" She exclaimed. Her grin showed her almost full row of top teeth and half row on the bottom.

"Hi, sweetheart." Paige greeted. She smiled down at Haley lovingly as she picked her up and held her close. "Are you ready for the day?"

Haley just grinned while resting her head on her mother's shoulder.

Paige sat down in a rocking chair with her youngest in her arms.

Haley sighed happily while holding a strand of Paige's reddish brown hair. It was a little below her shoulders and the little girl liked playing with it. She never pulled it, but she enjoyed holding it.

"So what do you want to do today?" Paige asked. She planted a kiss on Haley's cheek before putting a hand through her quickly growing hair.

"Play!" Haley announced, almost immediately. "An…Pratzis mazic, pease?"

"You wanna practice magic, huh?" Paige asked. She bent down and started tickling her daughter's tummy.

Haley burst into a fit of giggles as Paige continued to tickle her.

After the giggles had subsided, Paige pulled Haley close and held her for a few minutes.

After some time had passed, Paige started getting hungry. She glanced down at Haley who was contentedly trying to braid Paige's hair.

"Are you hungry, Halers?" Paige asked, using Haley's family nickname.

"Uh-huh." Haley replied.

"All right. Let's go see what there is to eat." With that, Paige picked Haley up and headed for the kitchen.

Getting to the kitchen, Paige found her eldest daughter, Savannah Grace, sitting at the table. She was eating some cereal and reading the latest mystery book she had bought.

"Morning, Sav. What's up?"

After setting Haley in her high chair, Paige went over and gave Savannah a hug.

Savannah hugged back before shrugging.

"Nothing much. I'm glad summer's here."

"I'll bet you are." Paige agreed. "Do you have any plans for today?"

"Melinda and I were going to hang out at the manor and maybe go to the mall."

"That sounds like fun." Paige said. "Just no orbing there. Remember what happened the last time."

Savannah giggled at the memory.

The last time they had gone to the mall, Melinda had orbed them there, but she had misjudged their arrival point. They ended up orbing in the middle of a crowd at Macy's. This caused some commotion, but thankfully it wasn't anything the sisters couldn't handle.

"We'll be careful." Savannah promised her mother. She made the sign Paige had taught her to get her point across.

"Okay." Paige consented.

Savannah grinned as she finished the last of her breakfast.

"All right, Miss Haley," Paige said, turning to her youngest, "what do you want for breakfast?"

Haley thought for a minute before pointing at Savannah's cereal.

"That!" She replied.

Before Paige could stop her, she had orbed Savannah's half eaten breakfast to herself.

"Hey!" Savannah cried, indignantly. "I was eating that!"

"Haley didn't mean it." Paige defended the little girl. "She's still learning."

Savannah shrugged, but didn't say anything else. She picked up her book and left the room.

Haley followed Savannah's retreating form until she couldn't see her anymore. Once her older sister was out of sight, the little girl started to cry.

"Aw, shh, it's okay, Haley. It's all right. I'm not mad at you, sweetheart. I know it was an accident." Paige consoled her now sobbing daughter. She took Haley into her arms and started swaying back and forth.

It took Haley a few minutes, but her tears subsided a little bit.

"Aw, that's my girl. All right. Let's get you a fresh bowl of cereal and then Mommy will get you dressed."

Haley sniffed and nodded. She allowed her mother to place her back in her high chair.

Just then, Melinda orbed in. She was looking for her cousin.

"Is Savannah ready?" She asked. She was eager to hit the mall.

Paige raised her eyebrow at her niece.

"No good morning, Aunt Paige? No, how are you?"

Melinda blushed as she threw her arms around Paige for a hug. She really did love her a lot.

"Sorry." The pre-teen apologized.

Paige grinned.

"It's okay. I know you love me." She hugged back before telling Melinda where Savannah was.

"Linda! Linda!" Haley squealed upon seeing her older cousin. She couldn't say Melinda yet, so Melinda allowed her to call her 'Linda for now.

"Hey squirt." Melinda greeted. She gave Haley a kiss and hug before leaving to find her cousins.

The squeals that followed a few minutes later, told Paige the two girls had found one another.

Savannah and Melinda had been close ever since they were toddlers. They had gone to magic school for a time together and had formed a close bond.

After Paige was finished feeding Haley, she got her dressed before setting her up with a tape of "Gullah Gullah Island" while she got ready.

As Paige pulled on a light blue top with different colored sparkles that formed the shape of a star on the front, she threw on a pair of shorts and pulled her hair back.

After that was done, she was about to brush her teeth when a male voice stopped her.

"You look beautiful this morning."  
Paige whirled around to find Matt standing there. He was dressed in a robe and his hair was a sight.

Paige giggled before flashing her husband one of her famous smiles.

Matt responded by taking his wife into his arms and kissing her passionately.

As Paige relaxed in her husband's embrace, she realized how blessed she was. She then started thinking of a time when she had gotten a distorted idea of what love was. She had gone through a hard time back then, so had Savannah. But with the help of Piper and Phoebe, they had gotten through it…

Paige Lindsay Mathews-Halliwell was woken up by her four year old daughter, Savannah Grace. This was a ritual now and Paige looked forward to it every morning, only today was different.

Savannah usually greeted Paige by kissing her temples gently and then kissing her cheek followed by laying her head on Paige's chest to listen to her heartbeat and then whispering, "Mommy, time to wake up."

But this morning, Savannah just skipped to the heartbeat thing. She then whispered frantically, "Mommy? Mommy wake up! Please!"

Paige was awake instantly. She knew that tone in Savannah's voice and she didn't like it. It meant there was trouble.

Sitting up, Paige took her now crying daughter into her lap.

"Shh," Paige said soothingly. "Shh, hush now, it's okay, Sav. It's all right. Mommy's here. Mommy has you. It's okay. Everything's all right. Mommy's right here. I have you now. It's all right, Sav. Can you tell Mommy what happened?"

Savannah let out a sob before answering Paige's question.

"He hurt me again!"

Paige nodded. She pulled away from Savannah so that she could see what damage Richard had done this time. She glared as she saw a fresh bruise forming on Savannah's cheek. There was also blood dripping from a cut just below her right eye.

"All right, sweetie, it's okay. Mommy's going to make it better. I promise. Come on, up ya come." She picked Savannah up and carried her to the bathroom.

Once there, Paige cleaned Savannah's cut and put some ice on her bruise.

As she was carrying Savannah back to her room, Richard came out of the hall closet. He glared when he saw Savannah in Paige's arms.

"I told you not to run to your mother!" He growled. "You deserved it this time!" He made to grab Savannah from Paige, but Paige orbed out of the way, causing Richard to grab nothing but thin air.

Cursing in frustration, Richard tried again. He succeeded this time.

"I'll show you what happens to little girls who don't

listen!" He slapped Savannah across the face and she started crying harder.

"Mommy! Mommy!! Help!! Please!! Mommy!!" Savannah cried desperately.

As Paige felt the anger and fear rise to the surface she did the only thing she could do. She took a deep breath and called, "Savannah!"

In a matter of two seconds, Savannah was safely in Paige's embrace. She was still crying, but she felt instantly safe again.

"Shh," Paige soothed. "It's okay now. It's all right, Sav. It's okay. Mommy has you now. We're going to see Aunt Piper and Aunt Phoebe and Kimberly. You can play with her and Melinda. Would you like that? Does that sound like fun?"

as Paige was asking Savannah this, trying to soothe her, she orbed them to the Manor.

They orbed into the kitchen to find Piper was making breakfast. Melinda was coloring while Wyatt was pouting and staring into a bowl of cereal.

Piper looked up just in time to see Paige orb into the kitchen. She smiled upon seeing her sister, but when she saw the look in her eyes and the state Savannah was in, her mood suddenly changed.

"Paige? Squirt, what happened?" Piper inquired while using one of her two special names for her younger sister.

"Richard," was all Paige said before handing Savannah to Chris.

Once Savannah was safe, Paige collapsed into Piper's open arms. She tried to hold the tears back, but they wouldn't obey.

She had no idea what she was going to do next, but she knew she couldn't stay with this man. She had to get away, even if it meant doing it in secret. She had to keep Savannah and herself safe.

Sensing that Piper needed some alone time with Paige, Chris suggested, "Come on you guys. Let's go play a game in the living room."

Melinda happily followed her brother, but Savannah just clung to Chris for dear life. She felt almost as safe with him as her mother.

After Chris and the kids were gone, Piper gave Paige a much needed hug and promised her that she would do anything and everything she could to keep her and Savannah safe.

"Thanks, Pipe," Paige said, using her nickname for Piper.

"Aw, you're welcome, sweetie. I would do anything for my Missy Paige. You know that. And besides, Savannah is my favorite niece." Piper smirked and Paige almost smiled. She knew Piper was just being cheeky. She loved Kimberly too.

"Where's Phoebe?" Paige asked, her mind floating to her other sister.

"She took Kimberly to the doctor. She'll be back soon."

Paige nodded as she rested her head on Piper's shoulder.

The morning had been a long one for all of them and Paige needed Piper right now.

She loved Phoebe as well, but she felt safest with Piper. She knew Piper would keep her word and protect her as best she could. And that was enough for Paige at the moment.

Meanwhile back at the house, Richard threw a potion bottle across the room in frustration. He couldn't believe his wife had not only defied him, but she had taken their daughter, his

daughter away from him. Well, she wasn't going to get away with it that was for sure. He was going to get revenge on her in the worst way. He knew she loved Savannah more than anything and she would do anything and everything to protect the little brat. He had to find a way to take Savannah from Paige

and then he would finish the plan. But first, how was he going to succeed with the first part.

As he gazed around the room, he spotted a phone book and got an idea. He knew exactly how he was going to initiate the first part of the plan. And the best part was, he wasn't going to use any magic whatsoever, so that meant that Leo couldn't cloak Savannah or help in anyway. It was brilliant. He only hoped that this person was home.

"You can't go back to him," Piper said, looking Paige in the eye. "you can't. You have to stay here. You have to keep Savannah and yourself safe. You can't keep going through this or putting her through this. It's not right."

Paige nodded as she let the remaining tears fall.

"I know it's not right," Paige said. "That's why I've decided to stay here for a little while. Just until he calms down. Then I'll see about trying it again."

Piper nodded. She wasn't happy with Paige's initial plan, but at least Paige was willing to stay at the Manor for some time. It would be nice to have the whole family back together again, even if it was for a little while.

Later that night, Paige called Richard to tell him that she and Sav weren't coming home.

At first, Richard was furious, but then he remembered that in order for his plan to work, he had to stay calm and try to win her back with cunning and make it truly look like he was making an effort to change.

"I don't blame you," he said, totally shocking Paige. "I was horrible to you and to Sav."

"Don't call her that," Paige said, anger and protection for Savannah dripping in every word she spoke,

Richard ignored this and continued.

"That's why I've decided to take anger management classes two times a week and go to a counselor."

"I'm still not coming home for awhile," Paige informed him boldly.

"I know. I-I know and I don't' expect you to. Not after what I did to our daughter. I'm really sorry and I want to prove myself to you. Please, give me another chance?" Richard asked, hoping his plea sounded genuine enough.

Paige was about to answer him, when she heard tiny footsteps in the doorway. She glanced up to see Savannah standing there. She looked like she could use some cuddle time.

Paige gave Savannah a smile and held her arms out to her daughter.

Savannah came over and climbed into Paige's lap, wrapping her arms around Paige's neck, giving her a kiss and laying her head on Paige's shoulder.

"I have to go," Paige said shortly. "Piper just called us for dinner."

"Can I say hi to Savannah?" Richard asked hopefully.

"No." With that, Paige hung up the phone and turned her attention to her daughter.

Just then, Piper called up the stairs, "Paige, Savannah, dinner time!!"

Paige smiled and carried Savannah downstairs.

"Let's go see what Aunt Piper made for dinner, shall we?"

Savannah nodded and smiled as she laid her head against Paige's chest and listened to her heartbeat.

A month and a half had passed since Paige and Savannah had moved back into the Manor and things seemed to be going fine. Savannah was enjoying school and she had fun playing with Kimberly and Melinda and Wyatt.

It wasn't until one Saturday night that everything came crashing down.

Paige was watching Kimberly, Melinda and Wyatt along with Savannah while Phoebe and Chris went out when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Paige said as she got up from the couch. Piper was in the attic, reading the Book of Shadows so that she could write last demon they had just vanquished.

As Paige opened the door, she stepped back and frowned. Richard was standing there. He had a bouquet of flowers in his hand. He presented them to her with a smile.

"Thanks," Paige said, taking the flowers and making a note to put them in a vase later. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I thought since I was going to anger management classes now and counseling that you would consider moving back home and bringing Savannah with you. She is our daughter after all."

Paige glared at Richard and shook her head.

"There is no way in heaven or on earth that I would do that. You hurt her and she's not going to forget it too easily. She doesn't want to come home. She's scared of you, Richard, don't you get that? And frankly, I don't think that she should be put through anymore violence in her life. She doesn't deserve

it. We don't deserve it. Any of it."

Richard nodded. He glared at Paige, but then remembered what he needed to do.

"Okay, if you need some more time, I'm willing to give it to you, but I was wondering if you wanted to come to dinner with me. I'll bring you right back to the Manor. I promise. In fact, I won't even bring you back, you can orb yourself back if you want to."

Paige thought about this long and hard and then shook her head.

"I'm baby-sitting the kids and I don't think Piper would like it. Besides, I think you need a little more time to think about what you d a way to fix it. Maybe in a month or two." With that, she closed the door in Richard's face, leaving him both angry and a little disappointed. He left, without pursuing the issue further. He needed to give her time and then he would get his way. Sooner or later, Paige was going to forgive him. And when she did, she was in for one hell of a ride. That was for sure.

Four months later, Paige had established her life at the Manor and things couldn't be any better. Richard had called a few times, but Paige made it clear that she didn't want to see him and neither did Sav.

After the sixth month had gone by however, Paige decided to take Richard up on his dinner plans. He had been going to anger management classes and counseling, so it had to be working. Right?

As Paige got ready for her dinner with Richard, Piper tried unsuccessfully to convince her not to go.

"It's a trap," Piper told Paige, worry written all over her face. "I know it is. You're going to get burned. And I don't want to see you get hurt anymore You and Savannah have been doing great since you moved back here. Please, don't ruin it now by making one stupid mistake."

Paige nodded, but she was convinced that she was doing the right thing. After all, everyone deserved a second chance.

Piper sighed and turned to Phoebe.

"Talk to her." She said. "She listens to you. Please?" With that, Piper left the room.

Phoebe sighed and motioned for Paige to sit next to her.

Paige did so and felt Phoebe start to stroke her hair.

"I don't think you should do this," she said.

"But I-" Paige started to say, but Phoebe cut her off.

"Let me finish," Phoebe said.

Paige nodded and sighed.

"I don't want you to do this, but it's your decision. No matter what happens, I'm here for you. Okay?" Phoebe kissed Paige's cheek and gave her a hug before letting her get up.

Paige nodded and returned Phoebe's hug before finishing up her makeup.

Richard smiled to himself as he prepared for the date he was about to have with Paige. So far, everything was going according to plan. All he had to do was get Paige to drink the potion he had made and then he could put the next phase of the plan into action. But how was he going to get her to drink it?

He knew Paige wouldn't do it willingly. He had to slip it into her drink somehow. It seemed easier said than done. Richard shook it off for the time being. He would worry about it later. Right now ,the main part was to get Paige away from her sisters and into a restaurant. He knew he couldn't hurt her right away and he wasn't' intending to. In fact, he was planning on being as calm and collected as he could. If he played his cards right, he would have his family back and then he would get his revenge. Patience was the main thing. Richard had to stay patient and calm. That was the only way this was going to work.

Paige was sitting on the couch, when the doorbell rang. She sighed and got up. She didn't want to do this, but she knew she for her to find out if Richard was really being sincere about everything. If he was, she would give him two more weeks and then move back in. If not, she would stay where she was. Either way, she would have peace about it and that was what she wanted.

When Paige opened the door, Richard presented her with another bouquet of flowers, which she took and placed on the table.

"Shall we go?" Richard asked, holding out his hand to Paige.

Paige nodded and called to Piper that she was leaving.

"Okay!" Piper called back. "Love you!! Be careful, squirt!!"

"I will!" Paige called back as she left. "Love you too!!"

The drive to the restaurant was fairly silent. Neither one talked much. Each was in their own little world with their own thoughts. Paige was trying to stay calm and making sure she survived this date and Richard was still thinking about how he was going to get Paige to drink the potion. He knew he couldn't stuff it down her throat, he had to be as subtle as possible.

As Richard parked the car, he got out and opened Paige's door for her, This time, when Richard held his hand out to Paige, she took it. She didn't want to, but she needed to be polite. It was the only way to keep Richard's temper at bay and she didn't want to cause an unnecessary scene in public.

Once they were seated, they ordered their drinks and then their food. The waitress took their orders and then left them to talk.

Richard sighed and then decided he should start a conversation.

"So, uh, how's Savannah?"

"Good," Paige said. "She's doing well in school and she likes playing with her cousins and spending time with her aunts."

Richard nodded and smiled. He was happy that his daughter was enjoying herself, despite the fact that he wanted her and his wife home and in his control.

"So how's work been? " Paige asked, trying to make small talk.

"Fine," Richard replied as he fumbled with the potion vile in his pocket. He was trying to think of the best time to bring it out. He couldn't let Paige see it, but he couldn't wait until dinner came either. This was a toughy.

Just as Richard was about to ask Paige another question, the waitress came back with their drinks. She set Paige's apple juice wine in front of him.

"Thank you " Paige said, while Richard nodded and mumbled a thanks.

The waitress nodded and left to check on their dinner.

After she was gone, Paige frowned apologetically.

"Would you excuse me? I have to run to the ladies room."

"Sure, sure. That's fine. I'll just look over the newspaper and see what team won last night."

Paige nodded and got up, taking her purse with her. As she turned to leave, she put her purse back down and decided to leave it behind.

After Paige left, Richard smiled at his stroke of luck. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for. Now was the time to do time. Paige would be back at any time.

As Richard thought about the best way to do it, he slid Paige's glass towards himself and dug the potion vile out of his shirt pocket. He looked around to make sure nobody was watching him and then tipped the vile over and let its contents fall into the cup.

After Richard was sure that the whole potion

was gone, he slid the cup back over to Paige's side and prayed that she didn't notice it had been moved.

As Richard put the vile back into his pocket, he went to glance at the menu when all of a sudden, Paige announced her return.

"I'm back," she said as she sat down. She then glanced at her cup of juice and asked, "Did you touch my drink?"

Richard shook his head.

"No."

"Then why is it moved a little to the right?" Paige asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

Richard shrugged.

"The waitress must have moved it when she came to get the menus."

Paige nodded and decided that that was a logical explanation. It seemed right for now. But as she sipped at her drink, she spit it out. Something about it tasted bitter.

Richard frowned, but then remembered that he had to act like he didn't know anything.

"What's wrong?" He asked, acting as nonchalant as possible.

Paige took a sip of water before answering his question.

"This apple juice is bitter. I'm gonna ask for another one. Maybe it was accidentally poured from the bar or

something."

As Paige mused this, Richard's mind raced. He couldn't let Paige get another drink. He didn't have anymore potion left. He had used it all on her apple juice. She had to drink it all or the plan wouldn't work.

"Did you try putting water in it?" Richard asked. "My mother used to do that when she made our lemonade too bitter. Try it. It might work."

Paige nodded and did so. To her relief, it did work. The apple juice actually tasted normal again.

"Thanks," Paige said, giving Richard a small smile. "You were right."

Richard smiled too. He was glad his mother's trick had worked. Now he didn't have to worry about the potion being wasted. It would start taking affect soon and when it did, Paige was in for one hell of a night.

As the waitress put their food down in front of them, Paige felt a little dizzy. She shook it off and then tried to concentrate on eating.

As she dug into her food however, she started feeling dizzy again. She shook it off and tried to enjoy her dinner. But the dizziness kept coming back.

Finally, as Paige's head started to hurt and she felt dizzy for the third time. She did the only thing she could think of. She looked up at Richard.

"Richard, I'm sorry, but I have to go. I'm not feeling well." She jumped up and went to the ladies room so that she could orb herself home without being seen.

Once Paige got there, she went straight to bed and crawled underneath the covers. Whatever she had come down with, it was hitting her fast.

"Do you think she's going to be okay?" Phoebe asked as she put a hand to Paige's forehead.

"I'm not sure," Piper said. 'I hope she is. For Richard's sake anyway. If I find out he hurt her again, I'm going to do worse stroking Paige's hair gently as Phoebe took Paige's temperature and got her a cup of Ginger Ale along with a sick bucket from the closet.

After she had brought both things back,. She set the water by Paige's bed and gave the bucket to Piper.

Just then, Paige started to stir. She felt someone stroking her hair and thinking it was Richard, she pushed them away.

"Paige, it's okay, honey. You're home. You're okay. Everything's going to be all right, squirt."

"P….Pi….Piper?" Paige asked, feeling the dizziness lift, but her head still hurt like hell. "Piper?"

"Yes, sweetie, it's okay. It's Piper. And Phoebe's here too. You're going to be fine. I promise. Can you tell us what happened tonight? Did Richard hurt you?"

Phoebe started rubbing Paige's shoulder in an effort to help her feel better.

Paige thought for a moment.

"All I remember was sipping the apple juice that the waitress gave me and then everything went black."

Phoebe nodded and Piper glared out the window.

"Richard spiked it," she said. 'I'm gonna kill him!"

"Wait a minute," Phoebe said, trying to calm Piper before she accidentally blew up the lamp, "we don't know that for a fact. Paige, did you see Richard put anything into your drink?"

Paige thought hard.

"No, but when I came back from the bathroom, my drink had been moved. I asked Richard if he had moved it and he said no."

"He was lying!" Piper exclaimed. "That son of a-"

"Piper!" Both Phoebe and Paige said in unison.

"Calm down, girl," Paige said. "I know it seems like Richard did something, and I wouldn't put it passed him, but I honestly think that we should give him the benefit of the doubt here. After all, he has been going to anger management classes and counseling. He didn't hit me once tonight."

"So what?" Piper said incredulously. "It doesn't matter. He's still dangerous. Look, let's get you better and then we'll deal with Richard."

Paige nodded as she rested her head in Phoebe's lap and tried to sleep once again. It had been a long night and all Paige wanted to do was sleep.

Piper shook her head as she rubbed the young EST's shoulder.

"Honey, you can't sleep just yet, sweetie. You have to drink some Ginger Ale first. It will help you feel better."

Paige nodded and tried, but it didn't stay down. She felt horrible. What made matters worse was her stomach was beginning to hurt now. What was going on with her?

Meanwhile back at the house, Richard lay awake most of the night. He was waiting for the moment when he would be able to strike. He needed to wait for the potion to take its full affect

before he made his next move. He had to be patient and patience wasn't one of his strong suits.

The next day, Paige woke up feeling worse. She still felt nauseous and she was feeling really tired. As she sat up, she tried to orb herself to the bathroom, but nothing happened. She tried again, but still nothing happened. What was going on with her powers? Maybe the flu or whatever she had come down with

was interfering with her magic. Whatever was going on, Paige wanted to get rid of it fast.

Paige forced herself to get up and made her way to the bathroom. She washed her face and then tried her best to brush her teeth without throwing up. the toothpaste was making her stomach feel queasy.

Once she was done, she made her way downstairs to find Phoebe feeding Kimberly and Piper making breakfast.

They both smiled when Paige came in, but frowned when they saw her complexion.

"Still not feeling better?" Phoebe asked sympathetically.

Paige shook her head and sighed.

"And now my powers are messed up."

"What do you mean?" Piper asked.

"Well, I tried to orb myself to the bathroom just now, and it didn't work. I tried twice and nothing happened. I don't know what's going on, but I would love to find out."

"Did you say your powers aren't working?" Chris asked his aunt as he looked up from the game he was playing with Melinda.

Paige nodded.

Chris frowned as he gazed at his beloved aunt. He turned his attention to Melinda just then.

"Take your turn, Min, I'll be right back. I have to talk to Aunt Paige."

He went over to where Paige was sitting and sat next

to her. He patted her shoulder lovingly and said, "I think I know what happened."

Paige nodded and gave Chris a hopeful look.

"He didn't hurt you did he?" Chris asked, worry in his eyes.

Paige shook her head.

"No, honey. Richard didn't hurt me. I promise. Why?"

"Because he may have slipped a potion in your drink that made you feel sick and weakened your powers. Don't ask me why he did it. We're talking about Richard here. But whatever the reason is, we should have Dad check you out."

Paige nodded and agreed to let Leo look her over. She knew that no harm could come from it and she wanted to feel better as soon as possible. Once more, she didn't want Savannah seeing her like this. Not after everything else that had happened.

"LEO!!" Piper called after Melinda had gone to watch "My Little Pony" with Savannah and Kimberly. "LEO!!"

In a matter of seconds, Leo had orbed into the room. He looked concerned.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he sat down next to Paige and gave her a worried look.

"It's Aunt Paige," Chris told his father. "She's sick and we don't know what's going on. She can't orb either."

Leo nodded and did a scan with his whitelighter powers. What he came up with wasn't good news at all.

"I'm afraid whatever Richard gave Paige, it's weakening her powers and it's going to continue to do so until she can't use them anymore. I'm sorry."

Paige nodded as the realization of what Leo had just told everyone sank in.

"Can't you do something to reverse it?" Paige asked hopefully.

Leo thought for a moment and then shook his head.

"I don't even think healing you would work."

"Try it!" Piper, Chris and Paige said in unison.

Leo let out a soft laugh as he put his hands over Paige's forehead and tried to heal her. The pink glow emanated from his hands like always, but it didn't stay there for long. In fact, it didn't even get brighter as it usually did. It just faded.

"It's not working," Leo said as he took his hands from Paige and sighed heavily.

"We can see that," Piper said as she sighed and gave Paige's shoulder a pat. "The question is why?"

"That I can't answer for you," Leo replied. "I'm sorry, Piper. I wish I could, but I can't."

Piper nodded as she let Leo kiss her before orbing out.

"I'll check with the other Elders and see what's going on."

"Thanks," Paige mumbled as she laid her head on Phoebe's shoulder as Phoebe put her arm around her comfortingly.

Leo nodded and gave Paige an encouraging smile before orbing back "up there".

After Leo was gone, Paige decided to take a nap.

As she made her way up to her room, she found Savannah crying on her bed. She was laying down and tears were streaming down her face. She was holding Baby Lofty close and she looked both scared and upset.

"Hey, sweetie," Paige said, sitting down next to Savannah. "Come here, Sav. We need to talk."

"Did Richard hurt you last night?" Savannah asked, her brown eyes full of concern for her mother.

"No," Paige said. "He didn't hurt me."

Savannah nodded and laid her head against Paige's chest and listened to her heartbeat.

The next day, Savannah woke up and for some reason, she didn't want to go to school.

Paige felt her forehead and even had Leo and Chris check her over, but nothing was wrong.

"You're going and that's that, my sweet girl," Paige said, giving Savannah a hug and kiss on her cheek, which Savannah returned.

"But Mommy I-"

"No buts, missy." Paige said, giving Savannah's shoulder a pat. "No buts whatsoever."

When Paige dropped Savannah off at school that day, Savannah burst into tears and didn't want Paige to leave her. Paige tried to convince Savannah that she would be okay and that she, Paige, would be back to pick her up at the end of the day, but Savannah didn't want to hear it. She was scared and she wanted her Mommy.

Paige sighed and asked Miss Elle if it was all right for her to stay.

"Sure," Miss Elle said. "No problem."

Paige nodded and Savannah calmed down. She didn't know why she was feeling the need for her Mommy not to leave, but she just was.

Meanwhile, Richard sat in his station wagon three blocks from Savannah's school. The time was drawing nearer for him to make his move. The potion had taken its full affect and Paige was unable to use her powers at all. It was like she didn't even have them anymore. She couldn't even call Leo anymore for help, which was really strange. She didn't try Chris yet, but hopefully he was out of her range too. If he wasn't, Richard was going to be pissed.

Now the only thing left to do was wait.

He had exactly two hours left. As soon as Paige and Savannah came out of the school doors to go home, he would

have them right where he wanted them. Trapped, with no way out and no way to call for help.

The day went okay for Savannah. She listened to Miss Elle and had fun with her best friend, Kate. As the day drew to a close, however, the same strange uneasy feeling crept into her tummy. She went over to Paige and climbed into her lap.

"Mommy?" She asked, while laying her head against Paige's chest to listen to her heartbeat.

"Yeah, Sav?" Paige asked, stroking her daughter's hair gently.

"Can we call Chris to pick us up?"

"No," Paige said, laughing slightly. "We have our car. What has gotten into you today, sweetie?" Paige asked, tickling Savannah's tummy, making her giggle. "Ya know what I think you need?"

Savannah shook her head.

"I think you need to spend some time with Melinda in a fun place. How about after school, I take you and Melinda to zany brainy? Would you like that?"

Savannah's eyes lit up momentarily. She loved that place.

"Yay!" Savannah cheered.

"I'm glad we agree." Paige said, hugging her daughter close. "I'm glad we agree."

Secretly, Paige prayed the trip would cheer Savannah up. She hated seeing her daughter in any pain and she wanted her to smile again. She knew spending time with Melinda in one of their favorite places would do the trick. At least Paige hoped it would help Savannah feel better.

As Paige walked out with Savannah fifteen minutes later, she too started to get a really weird feeling. It wasn't just the grilled either. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

Instinctively, Paige picked Savannah up and was about to call for Chris, when she felt someone grab her by the

back of her shirt.

Paige fell to the ground and managed to hold onto Savannah as the person dragged her to the car.

"What's going on?" Paige demanded, a little more bravely than she felt. "Let go!"

"Not a chance, honey," Richard said. "I've been waiting for this moment for about three months and now you're going to get what's coming to you." He threw her in the back of the car and got into the front seat. He drove off down the road towards the express way. He knew where he was taking them and it was

somewhere even Leo couldn't' find. He was going to give it to Paige, but he had to wait until Savannah was asleep.

He wasn't so nuts that he would think of hurting her in front of their child now. Even though he had done it before, but he had been drunk the other times.

Now he was completely sober and his head was full of only one thought…. Revenge. He was going to get his revenge against Paige for taking Savannah away and breaking up their family if it was the last thing he did.

"I can't find her anywhere!" Chris shouted in frustration.

"Aunt Paige is in trouble!" Melinda whimpered as she tried her best to search for her beloved relative. "Savannah too."

"I know that, Min," Chris said, trying not to take his anger out on his little sister. She was only seven after all and she didn't understand what was going on. Not as good as Chris did. After all, he had been there before and if he was right, they needed to get to Paige in time, if not, she was likely

to die.

"Where's Mommy?" Melinda asked.

"She's upstairs looking through the book," Chris told his sister. "Why don't you go upstairs and give her a hug, she needs it."

Melinda nodded and gave Chris one before leaving.

After Melinda was gone, Chris orbed out. He needed to find Paige and unbeknownst to her, he was the only one she could "call" for help. He could hear her, but only him. Leo was out of range. Chris wasn't sure about his Aunt Prue though. After all, she was a special case.

"Why are you doing this?" Paige asked, her voice cold and angry. "What did we do to you?"

Richard glared at her.

"You took my daughter away from me, that's what. And now you're going to pay."

Paige glared at him, but stayed silent.

"Leo," She thought. "if you can hear me, we could sure use some heavenly help right about now." She sighed as she hugged Savannah close and prayed that her little angel stayed asleep for a little while longer. She didn't want her to see what ever Richard was going to do to her. She didn't deserve it.

Ten minutes later, Richard stopped at a McDonald's. He left them alone, but took the car keys with him. He wasn't stupid. Even though Paige was powerless so to speak, she was still very smart. Maybe smarter than him right now, but he didn't think so.

As Paige watched him leave, she sighed. Maybe she could call for Prue. She took a deep breath and was about to say her name when a tiny voice stopped her.

"Mommy?" Savannah said sleepily.

"Shh," Paige said, trying to get her back to sleep. "Hush now. It's okay. Mommy has you. Go back to sleep. It's okay."

"I want to go home!" Savannah whimpered, pushing herself deeper into Paige.

"Shh, I know you do, sweetie, I do too, but it's going to be okay. We'll be there soon." As Paige tried to calm her daughter down, she prayed she was right.

Ten minutes later, Richard returned. He got into the car before handing Paige the food he had purchased.

"Here," Richard said, handing Paige a cheeseburger, fries and a drink. "This is the only meal you're getting for the next few hours. Don't' waste it."

Paige nodded and started dividing the food up between her and Savannah.

"Don't bother," Richard said, producing a happy meal for Savannah. 'I got her something." He handed Savannah the box and she took it warily.

"It's okay, princess." Richard said. He wasn't out to hurt Savannah, unless she got in the way. He was trying to spare her. She was his only daughter after all. At least that's what he thought.

Savannah looked to Paige for confirmation and Paige nodded.'

"Go on, honey. It's okay. I'm sure it tastes yummy."

Savannah nodded and began to eat slowly.

After the food was half eaten, Richard took off again.

He wanted to get them out of San Francisco tonight and he knew in order to do that, he would have to drive the whole night and well into the day.

Meanwhile, Chris was trying his hardest to find his aunt. He knew she was in trouble and he wanted to do anything he could to help her.

"Aunt Paige!!" Chris called as he orbed all over creation it seemed. "Aunt Paige!! Aunt Paige!!"

"Huh?" Paige sleepily said as she sat up and rubbed at her eyes. She felt movement underneath of her and she remembered that she was in a car. Richard's car. She started feeling scared again, but then she heard someone calling her name, or did she imagine it?

"Aunt Paige!! Aunt Paige!!"

"Chris?" Paige said, hoping against hope that he could hear her too. "Chris, honey, is that you? Please let it be you."

"Yeah," Chris said as he orbed in right next to her. "It's me."

"Thank god!" Paige said, wrapping her arms around her nephew. "Get us out of here!"

"I'm working on that," Chris said.

"SHh," Paige said, motioning to the front where Richard was voicing his anger towards a demented driver.

"Don't worry," Chris said, "he can't see me. Only you and Savannah can. How is my little lady bug?"

"Okay," Paige said. "Scared, but okay."

"I wouldn't be surprised. Now, we have to get you out of here, but it's going to be tricky."

Paige nodded.

All of a sudden, another familiar voice could be heard.

"No. Don't' go. Paige, honey, if you can hear me, don't' go. Stay. You must stay for awhile."

"Mom?" Paige questioned.

"Yes, darling, " Patty Halliwell then orbed beside Chris. "It's me. I know you're scared and I know you-" She was interrupted as Paige flung herself at her, wrapping her arms around Patty's neck. "It's okay," Patty soothed, rubbing her back, "It's all right, sweetie. Everything's okay. Everything will

be okay. But you need to stay and see what he's up to. I promise you'll be safe. Prue and I are watching over you and Savannah. And you have this handsome young man to watch out for you." She looked towards Chris who blushed.

Paige nodded as she let go of her mother and Patty kissed her before orbing out.

"Well, I guess I have my orders," Paige said, sighing slightly. "You'll be around right?"

"Actually, I'm going to stick around for awhile so that I can hear what's going on and then I have to report back to Mom and Dad, but then I'll be back."

"How's Lin?"

"She's okay. She's worried about you."

Just then, the car swerved a little.

"Damn idiot!" Richard said. "Nearly got us killed."

Paige sighed. She didn't understand why he was driving so far out here anyway. They were in the middle of nowhere. Nothing but trees and forests lined the road. It was actually kind of creepy.

About an hour later, Paige woke up to hear Richard talking on his cell phone. She decided to stay quiet so that she could listen in. Maybe he would give some indication as to what he was planning to do with her and Savannah. She leaned over just enough so that she could hear what he was saying.

"Yeah, I got them. It wasn't too hard. No. We'll be there in about two hours. Don't worry, I'm not letting Paige out of my sight. She can't call for her whitelighter to help her either and with her powers temporarily gone, she can't orb out. My daughter's too young to understand what's going on. She'll

think we're going on a trip. But it's far from a trip. A trip that they will never come home from."

Paige's heart leapt into her chest and she almost fell backwards onto the seat from losing her balance. She couldn't have heard Richard right. It had to be a mistake. He couldn't' have done it. It was a dream or a nightmare. Anything but the truth.

But as Paige looked out the window, she knew all too well

that it wasn't a dream. If anything, it was a nightmare.

Richard had abducted her and Savannah and if Chris didn't help them, they would never see Piper or Phoebe or even Chris again.

As Paige listened further, something else Richard let slip, made her blood run cold.

"You don't have to worry about Savannah using her magic, because I bound her powers a year ago. She won't be able to do anything to help her mother."

Paige didn't believe it. Savannah had orbed just last week. How could her powers be bound?

Without thinking about the repercussions of her actions, Paige yelled, "Chris!!"

"What the hell?" Richard asked, turning around and looking Paige's way. "Are you trying to get us killed?"

Paige shook her head.

"No, it seems like you're doing that fine on your own."

"Another word and you'll be sorry you ever opened your mouth."

Paige just glared at him. She wasn't exactly frightened of what he was going to do to her, versus Savannah. She could talk her way out of the beatings, but Savannah couldn't. She was the innocent in all of this.

"Chris!!" Paige said a little quieter. "Damn it, Chris!!"

"Sorry," Chris said as he orbed in. "I know what's going on and I'm sorry to say, I have to wait until you get to wherever you're going to help you."

"What?!" Paige asked, startling Richard and waking Savannah up.

"Shut up already!" Richard shouted, making Savannah burst into tears.

"Shh," Paige soothed. "It's okay, sweetie, Mommy has you. You're all right. I promise. Everything's okay."

Savannah nodded, but buried her face in Paige's shoulder anyway.

"As I was saying," Chris said, "I have to wait until you're actually in the house or whatever before I can get you out of here."

"Why?!" Paige asked.

"Because, Richard has put protective Charms all over the car to protect himself from our magic. I'm lucky I could even orb in here."

Paige nodded.

"Well, that makes sense."

Chris laughed and orbed out. He knew Phoebe would be

They drove for four more days. During that time, Chris checked on Paige and Savanna and healed Paige's injuries which were nothing more than bruises to her shoulder and face. He still said he couldn't' actually help them escape until they got to wherever they were going.

About ten minutes after Chris had left to relay another message from Paige to Piper, Prue orbed in.

"Someone said you needed some help," she said, giving Paige a hug and picking Savannah up.

"Can you rescue us, Auntie Prue?" Savannah asked hopefully.

Prue shook her head.

"Not until you get to wherever you're going."

"So I've heard," Paige said dryly. "The question is why."

Prue shook her head.

About an hour later, Savannah fell asleep and Prue stayed to keep an eye on them. It wasn't until around twelve-thirty, that Paige started feeling kind of sick. It came on suddenly and Prue didn't need to watch "ER" to know what was wrong with her little sister. Vomiting and tiredness could only mean one

thing. Paige was pregnant.

"But how?" Paige whined as she threw up for the second time into a bucket that Chris had brought. "Richard and I didn't have…" Her voice trailed off as she remembered back to the night that Richard had been really pissed and had refused her pleas to stop. Her eyes filled with tears as the realization hit

and Prue took her baby sister into her arms and rocked her.

"Shh," Prue soothed. "Hush now, my sweet angel girl. It's okay. It's all right."

"No it's not!" Paige whimpered quietly, so that she wouldn't wake up Savannah who was fast asleep in Chris' arms. "I let him do that to me."

Prue shook her head and pulled away from Paige just enough to see her face.

"You, Paige Lindsay Halliwell-Mathews, are not responsible for what he did. Do you hear me, young lady?" Prue had her no nonsense tone and Paige knew it well.

Paige nodded.

"Good." Prue said. "Now you just rest and I'll stay with you until it's time to make a break for it."

Paige sighed. As she looked down at her stomach, more tears came. She couldn't bring another baby into the world. Not right now and certainly not by a man as mean as Richard. No child deserved it.

"Mommy!" Savannah cried in her sleep. "Mommy!!"

Paige forced herself to wake up and help her daughter. Savannah was the innocent in all of this after all.

"Shh," Paige soothed. "It's okay, sweetie. It's all right. You're okay. Come here."

"Can't you shut her up?" Richard asked.

"Why don't you shut up?" Paige asked, not realizing the helplessness of her situation.

Richard stopped the car and back handed her across the face, sending her sprawling onto the floor. Without a word, he drove off again.

"I'm sorry!" Savannah sobbed as she laid her head against Paige's chest. "You got hurted because of me."

"It's hurt," Paige corrected her, "and I didn't get hurt because of you, Sav. Daddy is just mean, that's all. It's not your fault, honey. It isn't. Believe me."

Savannah nodded and then called, "Chris!"

Chris orbed in and gasped.

"Oh my god. What the hell happened?"

"ooh!!" Savannah said, giving Chris a look.

"Sorry," Chris said, blushing. "What in the world happened?"

"Richard got mad at Mommy and he hit her," Savannah told Chris through her tears. "Can you make her better, Chris, please?"

Chris nodded and did so, but as he put his hand over Paige's cheek, the car started to stall out.

"Damn it! Damn it!" Richard cursed, pulling out his cell phone. "I'm going to kill Harry!"

"Harry?" Chris asked.

Paige nodded and a giggle escaped her lips.

"Harry is his mechanic."

Chris rolled his eyes.

"Okay. There ya go, all healed."

"Thanks, sweetie." Paige said, giving Chris a hug.

"No problem. Anything for my favorite aunt."

"I can't find her!" Phoebe said as she scried for the fifth time. "Wherever Richard took her, it has to be somewhere outside of San Francisco."

"Damn it!!" Piper cursed. "Leo!!"

Leo orbed in, but he looked annoyed.

"Piper, I told you I couldn't help you find Paige, why do you keep calling me?"

Piper shrugged.

"Mel wants you to tuck her in."

"I already did," Leo said. He then gazed into Piper's brown eyes and saw her crying for his comfort silently. He walked over to her and embraced his wife and cradled her close. "It's going to be okay," Leo said, feeling a little worried himself. "I'm sure Chris and Prue and your mother can help Paige."

Piper nodded. All she wanted at the moment was Paige and Savannah home safe and sound.

By the time Richard, Paige and Savannah, not counting Prue and Chris had arrived at their destination, Paige had thrown up five times and was now very dehydrated.

Prue needed to get some fluids into her fast and water wasn't working.

Paige crawled underneath of the covers and fell asleep instantly.

Prue checked on her during the night and was horrified to find that she had spiked a fever around three o' clock in the morning. She had to get Paige to the hospital and fast.

"Grams!" Prue called. "Grams!!"

"I heard you Prudence, you didn't have to scream so loudly. My god, darling, the whole heavens heard you." Grams said as she materialized in front of her granddaughters. "What seems to be the…… Oh my…. We need to get to Ava quickly. There's no time to waste."

Prue nodded and expectedly picked Paige up and cradled her in her arms.

"I'll go to the hospital and you take Savannah up there with Mom."

Grams nodded and did so, but as she picked Savannah up, the child started to wake up.

"SHh," Grams soothed, "it's all right, darling. You're okay. We're going to see Grandma Patty. It's okay now. Everything's all right."

"I want Auntie Prue!" Savannah wailed as she tried to break free of Grams' protective, but firm hold. "I want Auntie Prue!"

"Honey, it's okay," Prue said, "listen to Auntie Prue, listen to me, sweetheart. You have to go with Grams. She's going to keep you-" Prue was interrupted as Richard stirred and rolled over.

"We need to go now," Grams said. She continued to soothe Savannah as she orbed "up there' with her crying great granddaughter in her arms.

Meanwhile Prue had orbed Paige to the hospital, but unfortunately, Ava wasn't there. She had the night off.

"Can't you just call her?" Prue asked.

"I'm afraid you're stuck with me," Dr. Arielle Larson said, giving Prue a gentle smile. "We'll take good care of your sister, I promise."

Prue nodded and went to call Darryl. She needed to make sure that if Richard showed up, that he would be arrested straight away. After that was done, she called Piper and Phoebe to tell them that Paige was okay. She wasn't going to tell them about Paige's pregnancy. She figured that was something that Paige would have to tell them on her own. She knew about Paige being raped, but Piper and Phoebe didn't know anything. At least not yet.

Prue was brought out of her thoughts by Dr. Larson's voice.

"We've found some internal injuries that need to be repaired with surgery. Will you sign the consent?"

Prue nodded and did so. She knew it was for the best. After that was done, she went to comfort Paige until Dr. Larson took her to the OR.

Paige was scared out of her wits and she didn't want to leave Prue's arms, but she knew she had to. It was the only way for her to get better.

"You're going to be okay," Prue said, rubbing Paige's back and stroking her hair. "I promise. You're going to be fine."

"I'm scared for Haley," Paige said, realizing what she wanted to name her baby.

"I know you're scared for….." Prue said, and then stopped. "Haley?"

Paige nodded.

"That's what I want to name the baby if she's a girl. Haley Keona Halliwell."

"Well, Chris will be happy," Prue said, a smile spreading across her face.

Just then, Dr. Larson came over and started to put the medicine into Paige's IV.

As the medicine went in, Paige felt her stomach lurch.

Prue had the basin in front of her within seconds.

"It's okay," Dr. Larson comforted. "You're okay. That's it. It's all right. Good girl."

Paige nodded and tried to fight back the tears of fear and pain that were threatening to fall.

As Dr. Larson prepared to roll the gurney towards the OR, Prue gave Paige a kiss and hug and promised her that she would be with her during the surgery.

"I love you," Paige said as she tried to stop crying.

"Aw, same here, my angel girl. Same here." Prue planted a kiss on Paige's cheek as she turned to leave. She knew Paige would be in good hands.

As Prue rounded the corner, she found Darryl with a huge grin on his face.

"What's going on?" Prue asked her long time friend.

"Agent Murphy caught Paige and Savannah's kidnapper."

"He did?" Prue asked.

"Yup." Darryl said.

Meanwhile, Paige was having a hard time falling asleep. Dr. Larson was right by her side and she felt Patty there as well, but she couldn't drift off. She threw up two more times and Dr. Larson put some compazine into her IV, which worked. Then she gave her some versed and that finally put her out.

"I think someone's waking up," Paige heard Piper say as she came to three hours later. "Paige, can you hear me, honey? Missy Paige?"

"Piper?" Paige asked and then immediately coughed and got sick from the anesthesia.

Piper nodded as she put the bucket in front of Paige and helped her to sit up.

"It's okay, squirt. It's all right. You're okay."

"Where's Prue?" Paige asked after her stomach had calmed down.

"What am I?" Phoebe asked. "Pony liver?"

Paige shook her head as Phoebe sat on the bed and started stroking Paige's hair.

"I'm right here, angel girl," Prue said, coming over and planting a kiss on Paige's forehead. "Dr. Larson said you did a great job."

Paige nodded.

"I'm just glad you're safe," Piper said, kissing Paige's cheek. "Thank God you're okay. Richard didn't hurt you, did he?"

"Yeah, but I'm okay now, really. It was nothing that Chris couldn't handle."

"At least there were no lasting affects to his abuse," Piper said.

"Funny you should say that," Prue said, eyeing Paige.

"What are you talking about, sweetie?" Piper asked.

Paige took a deep breath and said, "Well, there was a lasting physical affect to Richard's abuse."

"Which is…..?" Piper said expectantly.

Paige sighed and averted her gaze as she said, "I'm pregnant."

Piper stared at Paige in disbelief as she held her hand and Phoebe continued to stroke her hair.

"You're what?!" Piper asked, her voice echoing off the recovery room walls, waking a few patients.

"I'm pregnant," Paige repeated barely whispering.

"How…?" Was all Piper could manage to ask and Phoebe just continued to comfort Paige. She knew she needed it.

Paige sighed as she tried her best not to look Piper in the eye as she spoke the next three words.

"Richard raped me."

Piper was beside herself with anger and worry for her baby sister. She knew Paige had gone through a lot at the hands of her abusive boyfriend, but she had no idea just how much. She moved closer to the bed in an effort to let Paige know she was there.

"It's going to be okay," Prue said, coming over and putting a hand on Paige's shoulder as she gave Piper's right hand a squeeze. "I know it will."

Just then, Dr. Larson came in. She came over and prepared to check Paige over.

"How are you feeling?" Dr. Larson asked, sitting down on a stool next to Paige.

"Sleepy," Paige said honestly. "A little nauseous."

"Well, that's to be expected." Dr. Larson said. "Well, everything went extremely well. We were able to remove your spleen without a problem and we also repaired some internal bleeding. Overall, you should be ready to go back home in a few hours."

Paige nodded and thanked Dr. Larson as she took the IV out.

"It's my pleasure," Dr. Larson said. "it's my pleasure. You were a great patient, Paige."

Paige blushed.

"No I wasn't." She said.

"No, you really were," Dr. Larson insisted, giving Paige's shoulder a gentle pat. "Better than some of the people we get in here. Believe me." She smiled as she went to get the discharge papers.

The next few weeks were hectic ones for Paige. She really couldn't sleep and she kept having nightmares of the last few weeks if she tried. She would often crawl into Piper's bed and sleep there if the nightmares got too bad, which they often did. She only prayed and hoped that her baby was doing better than

she was.

Savannah had bad dreams too, but she was okay if she was with Paige.

Prue had stuck around more and more to make sure that Paige was adjusting to being home again. She wasn't leaving until she was sure that her baby sister was going to be okay. Only then would she return to heaven with her mother and grandmother.

Richard's trial was scheduled to be in a month. Paige didn't know how she made it through one month without going totally crazy, but she had managed it. Savannah too.

The day of the trial, Paige woke up and immediately ran to the bathroom to empty her stomach. That's where Piper found her five minutes later.

"Aw, my poor Missy Paige," Piper said as she put her arm around Paige and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. "It's okay, sweetie. Everything's going to be all right. I promise. Everything's going to be all right. We're going to be right there. He won't be able to hurt you with us there."

Paige nodded as she heaved yet again and brought up nothing but bile and her dinner from the night before.

After Paige's stomach had calmed down, Piper gave her some Ginger Ale and took her temperature to make sure that she didn't have a fever.

To Piper's relief, Paige was just suffering from morning sickness mixed with nervousness.

"It's going to be all right, missy," Phoebe said as she let Paige rest in her lap. "I promise. We're going to be right there the whole time."

Paige nodded as she closed her eyes and tried to calm down. It was going to be a long day and Paige had to get all the rest she could.

Prue came into check on her five minutes later and took over comforting her. Paige laid in Prue's lap and listened to her heartbeat to try and stay calm.

"It's going to be okay, angel girl," Prue said soothingly. "Phoebe's right. Everything's going to be okay. I'll be right there with you."

"Auntie Prue's right," Melinda said, coming over and giving Paige a kiss and hug. "Everything's going to be okay."

Paige nodded and managed a small smile for her niece. Melinda loved her so much and she loved her just as much, maybe more.

"Thanks, Lin." Paige replied. She returned the hug and the little girl held on tightly for a few minutes.

Melinda smiled as she pulled away.

"No problem."

Before Paige knew it, she was at the courthouse, sitting in between Piper and Phoebe. Prue was in back of her. She had Savannah on her lap. She was planning on taking Savannah back home in an hour's time. Paige rested her head on Piper's shoulder while Phoebe rubbed her back. She was starting to feel sick again. She couldn't help it. She was just so scared. Her lawyer, Kimberly, had convinced her that everything would be okay, but Paige wasn't sure. She knew how crafty lawyers could be. She had known Cole after all.

As Paige waited for the judge to call her name, she tried to stay calm and then she closed her eyes and fell asleep. As she slept, she started to dream.

In her dream, she was in a field and Patty was there.

"it's going to be okay, darling. I promise." Patty assured her youngest daughter. "I know it will. All you have to do is tell the truth. I love you."

"I love you too." Paige replied. She wrapped her arms around Patty's neck for a hug.

Once the two had pulled away, a frown crossed Paige's face.

Patty noticed immediately.

"What's the matter?" She asked.

"What if the truth isn't enough?" Paige wondered.

Patty smiled at her reassuringly.

"It will be." She told her. "The truth will always set you free."

Paige nodded as she felt herself waking up once again. She felt much better.

As she opened her eyes, Piper had a cup of Ginger Ale waiting for her. Paige drank what she could and prayed that it stayed where it belonged. She couldn't handle throwing up again. It would totally make her feel awful.

After what seemed like hours, the judge whose name was Hilda, said, "I now call Paige Halliwell to the stand."

"You'll do fine," Phoebe said, giving Paige a hug and kiss.

"She's right," Piper said, giving Paige an equal hug. "You'll do great. Just tell the truth."

Paige nodded as she made her way up to the judge's stand.

After the judge looked at Paige for a few minutes, she said, "Place your right hand on the Bible."

Paige did so.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you God?"

"Yes." She said, hoping her voice didn't sound as shaky as she felt.

The Judge nodded and then went on to ask Paige some questions.

"Is it true that on April 3rd 2012, your boyfriend, Richard, raped you and then just last week, he kidnapped you and your daughter?"

"Yes," Paige said.

The judge nodded.

"And is it also true that he abused you and your daughter for the past three years?"

Paige nodded as she felt her knees become weak.

"Yes."

Dr. Larson showed the Judge some pictures and she was horrified at what she saw. She looked at the pictures for a few more minutes before coming to her decision.

"No more questions. Let's have a short recess and then I'll reveal my verdict."

Paige went back to her sisters and then they took a break. They got some sodas and Prue bought Savannah a sandwich.

It seemed like an eternity, but finally, the judge poked her head out and said, "Court is back in session."

Everyone returned to the courtroom and sat down.

"I've come to the verdict after looking at the photos and the evidence by the doctors, that Mr. Richard Williams is sentenced to fifteen years in prison for domestic abuse and rape. That is all. Court is adjourned." Hilda banged her gavel on the table and everyone stood up.

As the words sank in, Paige collapsed in Phoebe's arms and cried out of relief and feeling sick to her stomach.

"We did it!!" Piper said as she hugged Paige and gave her some more Ginger Ale. "We did it, squirt. We did it!! Richard is gone."

Paige nodded as she hugged Piper back and rested her head on Piper's shoulder.

The next few months went by in a haze and before Paige knew it, it was time to give birth to her daughter. She gave birth in the was her OB. Piper and Phoebe were present.

After a lot of pushing, crying and screaming on Paige's part, it was almost time for the baby to come. But something was wrong.

As Paige gazed at Arielle, who was checking somethin' on the baby's heart monitor, she realized the baby's heartbeat was low-very low.

"What's wrong?" Paige asked. There was alarm in her voice and Piper detected it immediately.

Dr. Larson sighed. She didn't know how she was going to tell Paige, but she had to and soon.

"Paige, I Think we're gonna have to do a c-section."

Paige gasped. This was something she wasn't expecting.

"We'll be there when you wake up." Piper assured her scared younger sister. "I love you, squirt." With that, Piper gave Paige a kiss and patted her shoulder as Arielle gave her the medicine to make her tired.

"Will you be able to save my baby?" Paige asked. Her question was directed at Dr. Larson.

Dr. Larson sighed. She knew there was a 20 chance that the baby would survive, but she couldn't tell Paige that. She knew she couldn't lie to her either, so she said the next best thing.

"We'll do our best."

Paige nodded. She was asleep in minutes and Dr. Larson, along with Dr. Lucy Chasity, wheeled her into the OR.

Piper and Phoebe waited outside, hoping and praying Paige would be okay. They were glad that Richard couldn't hurt Paige anymore, but Phoebe had a feeling that Paige's emotional pain wasn't over yet. And boy was she right.

"She'll be fine." Piper assured Phoebe. "Missy Paige is strong. She'll make it."

Phoebe nodded, but sighed.

"That's not what I'm worried about." She confided in her sister.

Piper raised her eyebrows.

"Then what are you worried about?" She inquired.

Phoebe shook her head.

A few hours later, Paige awoke in another recovery room. She was sore and feeling nauseous, but otherwise she was fine.

Despite her fatigue and pain, she wanted only one thing. She wanted to hold her child.

"Hey squirt." Piper greeted, putting a hand on Paige's shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

Paige shrugged.

"Okay. Where's…where's my baby?" She asked. She figured Dr. Larson had taken her baby girl to the nursery to get cleaned up and she would bring her back soon. She also thought maybe the baby needed a little help breathing and therefore, maybe she was on a vent for the night. Paige could live with either possibility. Just so long as she got to hold her soon.

But as Paige looked into Piper's eyes, she knew something had gone very wrong.

"Pipe, what is it?" Paige asked. Her voice was quivering and Piper had to fight to keep from crying.

"Paige, sweetie, I don't know how to tell you this, but…" Piper's voice trailed off. She looked to anywhere but where Paige was laying. She knew she had to tell her.

As her gaze landed on Paige again, she knew there was no turning back.

"missy Paige, she didn't survive. I'm so sorry."

Paige was in disbelief for three minutes before the flood gates open wide. She shook her head before the tears started in earnest.

Piper took Paige into her arms and hugged her close. She knew Paige needed her right now and Piper was going to do everything she could to help her baby sister through this.

"It's not fair!" Paige whimpered, burying her face in Piper's shoulder. "Why did Richard take her away from me too?"

Piper shook her head. She didn't have an answer for her on that one.

"I know it's not fair." Piper soothed. "But maybe there's another plan here. I know you'll have a second baby soon. I can feel it. This time wasn't meant to be."

Paige let out a sob, even though she knew Piper was right. She trusted Piper's judgment and advice, so there wasn't a doubt in her mind that Piper was right this time too. Little did Paige know just how right Piper was…

Six years later…

"You're doing great!" Piper encouraged as Paige squeezed her hand. "Just a few more pushes and she'll be here."

Paige nodded as a whimper of pain escaped her lips.

She was at the Manor, giving birth to the baby Piper had told her she would have a few years ago. It was to be another girl and Paige had a good feeling about her this time.

The other good thing that had happened was Paige had found another man who loved her for her. His name was Matt and he was nothing like Richard. Matt was sweet, kind and he loved kids. He also respected and loved Paige as well.

What made this experience less painful for Paige was the fact that this was her and Matt's baby. It had nothing to do with Richard and Paige was grateful for that. That knowledge alone gave Paige the energy to bring her second daughter into the world.

Matt was there too. He was excitedly anticipating the arrival of his second daughter.

They had decided on a name together and Paige was happy about the choice.

They had decided to name her Haley Keona. Paige liked Keona as a middle name and it flowed with Haley just fine.

After a few more pushes, Paige was rewarded for her efforts as a baby girl's cries could be heard in the sterile room.

Paige smiled with pride as Piper gave Paige her new born daughter.

"Here you go," she said gently. "There's Mama."

"Hi little one," Paige said, giving her new daughter a kiss. "I'm your mommy. Yeah. I'm your Mommy. And you have a big sister named Savannah who is waiting to meet you at home, yes you do."

"Aloha, my Haley." Matt said, planting a kiss on the newborn's cheek. "I'm your Daddy. And Mommy and I love you very much." He then began talking softly in Hawaiian to his daughter.

"What are you going to name her?" Phoebe asked.

"She's beautiful, squirt," Piper said, patting the baby's shoulder gently. "See? I told you that everything would be okay."

Paige smiled in Piper's direction before turning her attention to Phoebe.

"I'm going to name her Haley. Haley Keona Halliwell. What do you think?"

Piper nodded and smiled.

"I think it's a beautiful name," she said.

"So do I. Hi there, Haley. I'm your Aunt Phoebe. Yes I am. And I'm going to show you wonderful things as you get older. Yes I will. And I love you very much, yes I do." She gave Haley a kiss on her cheek.

"I'm your Aunt Prue," Prue said, giving Keona a kiss as well. "And I love you very much."

"And I'm your cousin, Chris." Chris said as he gave Haley's shoulder a pat and kissed her cheek.

After Savannah was introduced to her new little sister, Piper insisted that both Paige and Haley needed some rest.

Both sisters helped Paige get settled on the couch and Matt put Haley in her bassinet.

As Paige really had a good look at her daughter, she smiled. Haley was so cute and precious. She had Paige's beautiful brown eyes, but Matt's tan skin and his brown hair.

Just as Paige was about to close her eyes, Haley started to fuss. She wanted some attention.

"Aw, it's okay, sweetie, Mommy has you now. It's okay. Yeah, there ya go. That's my girl. That's my precious girl." Paige continued to talk to Haley as she fed her.

After Haley had been burped, Paige decided that it was time to take a short nap. She needed the rest and so did Haley.

As Paige fell asleep, she smiled. She had a feeling that everything was going to work out. Her mother had been right.

Everything was going to be okay.

Paige was coming out of the past and heading into a brighter future. The same was true for Savannah and Haley. They would all make it. And it was because they had family

to back them up and most importantly, they had each other…

As Paige's mind floated back to the present, she smiled. She loved her life with Matt and their girls. And even though it had been a long road, Paige wouldn't trade the life she had now for anything. She was content right where she was and she wouldn't have her life any other way.

THE END


End file.
